Art Berke, a lifelong White Sox fan, has worked at the highest levels of the sports industry with Major League Baseball, ABC Television and Sports Illustrated. He grew up in Northwest Indiana, in the shadow of old Comiskey Park, and proudly proclaims 2005 as the best year of his life. Art offers his glass half-full opinions and observations as he lives and dies with the Sox.

Sox-wise and Otherwise…

My weekly off-season musings about the White Sox and more…

* America, fasten your seat belts. Our Ozzie Guillen will be part of the Fox pre- and post-game announcing crew for the World Series.

* How impressed are Sox prospects Jordan Danks and C.J. Retherford with No. 1 draft pick Stephen Strasburg? Not so much, it seems. In yesterday’s Arizona Fall League action, Danks and Retherford went 4 for 4 against the $15 million man of the Washington Nationals as their Peoria Javelina’s beat the Phoenix Desert Dogs, 9-6. John Danks‘ brother Jordan collected two singles and the gritty Retherford smashed a homer and a single. The duo’s performance was no fluke either. Danks is currently hitting .385 and Retherford .421 in Fall League action. Dayan Viciedo, who didn’t play yesterday, is at .333.

* The Sox picked up Alejandro De Aza this week off of waivers from the Marlins. His role? Probably a candidate for a spot as a backup outfielder. We’ll just have to trust the Sox front office on this one.

* While the Yanks are still in the driver’s seat to get to the World Series, ex-Sox mope Nick Swisher hasn’t helped a lick. If the former “Dirty 30″ doesn’t snap out of it soon, his love affair with Yankee fans will be over in a hurry.

* One of the most loyal and passionate Sox fans I know, my dad Seymour Berke, is in intensive care at a Hammond, Indiana, hospital. We all want him to be ready for spring training so please say a prayer.

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